Dart board assembly

ABSTRACT

A dart board includes a guide disk having apertures for guiding dart tips to penetrate into the board. The casings for receiving blocks of the dart board have tapered sides for being retained by tapered inside of the frame. Hooks extend from the guide disk so that the hooks may easily be engage with the frame and the blocks are easily to be replaced or changed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a dart board wherein the blocks can be easily replaced with blocks suitable for the darts having metal tips or blocks suitable for the darts having plastic tips. The dart board assembly also provides convenient manufacturing techniques for manufacturing the blocks of the dark board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A conventional electronic dart board assembly has a one-piece casing so that if the casing is to be fixed to a box, different shapes of molds for manufacturing the casings are required. This increases the capital pressure and because the casing is bulky in size so that the time required to complete a casing is prolonged. Besides, the dart boards have different structures so as to be used with the darts having a metal tip or a plastic tip. The dart boards that are used for the metal-tip darts and for the plastic-tip darts have to be purchased in separate. Most of the electronic dart board has a plurality of holes for receiving the tips of the darts. The blocks move backward when the darts hit the block to touch the scoring members behind the blocks. However, the tips could not be attached to the blocks if the tips hit the block at an angle. U.S. Patent with Ser. No. 09/247,840 includes a surface block 100 that is movably mounted to a scoring member 200 with a spring being biased therebetween. Two hooks 201 extend from the scoring member 200 and extend through the surface block 100 so as to prevent the surface block 100 from being disengaged from the scoring member 200. The two hooks 201 extending from the scoring member 200 makes a certain level of difficulty when making the scoring member 200.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dart board assembly which comprises at least one dart board and at least one guide disk connected to the at least one dart board. The guide disk has a plurality of apertures and is fixed to the at least one dart board so as to guide tips of darts into blocks in the at least one dart board.

[0004] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a dart board assembly wherein the guide disk is easily to be replaced and the blocks with casings are retained in the first dart board by tapered sides on the casings and the inside of the first board.

[0005] The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is an exploded view to show a dart board assembly of U.S. patent with Ser. No. 09/247,840;

[0007]FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show the dart board assembly of the present invention;

[0008]FIG. 3 is an exploded view to show the dart board assembly of the present invention;

[0009] FIGS. 4-6 respectively show the connection between the frame and the base of the dart board assembly of the present invention;

[0010]FIG. 7 shows the connection of the guide disks and the first board;

[0011]FIG. 8 shows the guide disk for being used with metal tip darts;

[0012]FIG. 9 shows the guide disk for being used with plastic tip darts;

[0013]FIG. 10 is an embodiment of the block of the dart board assembly;

[0014]FIG. 11 shows the connection of the casings and the first frame of the dart board assembly;

[0015]FIG. 12 is an exploded view to show the first board and the guide disk wherein the second board is not required;

[0016]FIGS. 13 and 14 show the engaging processes of the assembly as shown in FIG. 12;

[0017]FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of the assembly of that shown in FIG. 12, and

[0018]FIG. 16 shows another embodiment of the protrusions of the support member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the dart board assembly of the present invention comprises a circular frame 10 with which the dart board are engaged, and a base 20 which is connected to the frame 10. The dart board is engaged with the recess 11 of the frame 10 and includes a first board 70 and a second board 90. Several blocks 61/62 received in respective casings 60 are engaged with the first board 70. The blocks 61 are used for darts with metal tips and are made by soft material such as paper, fibers, or polymers. The blocks 62 are used for darts with plastic tips and include multiple holes or layers as shown in FIGS. 3 and 10. There is an annular engaging area 12 defined in the frame 10 so that the zero-score blocks 30 can be engaged with the engaging area 12.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame 10 has holes 113 so that the frame 10 can be connected to the box 100 by screws 112 and connected to the dart board base 50 by screws 114.

[0021] The base 20 has a display device 21 for displaying scores and includes an insertion 22 as shown in FIG. 4 and the frame 10 has a corresponding recess 13 so as to receive the insertion 22. A bolt 23 extends through the insertion 22 and the recess 13 and is engaged with a nut 24 to connect the frame 10 and the base 20. A slot 15 is defined in the base 20 so as to allow wires extending therethrough to be connected between the display device 21 and sensitive film assembly 40 including the films 41, 42, 43.

[0022]FIG. 5 shows another way to connect the base 20 and the frame 10. The frame 10 has a recess 13 and the base 20 has a recess 25. The two recesses 13, 25 are engaged with each other alternatively and a bolt extends through the two portions of the base 20 and the frame 10 to connect them together. The frame 10 is connected to the box 100 by extending a bolt 112 through the frame 10 and the box 100. The frame 10 may have an insertion 14 and the base 20 has a recess 25 which receives the insertion 14. The first board 70 has threaded holes 111 which are located in alignment with the holes 113 so that screws 23 may extend through the holes 113 and be engaged with the threaded holes 111.

[0023] The base 20 and the box 100 can be easily connected to the frame 10 which is cooperated with blocks 61 or 62. The way that connects the frame 10 to the base 20 can be gluing, heat fusion or any other known methods. The connections between the dart board base 50, the frame 10 and the base 20 may also be any known method.

[0024] The dart board as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is suitable for the darts having metal tips and the dart board as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 is suitable for the darts having plastic tips. A guide disk 80 is connected between the first board 70 and the second board 90. The guide disk 80 has a plurality of apertures 81 and two ribs 82 extend from one side of the guide disk 80 and the other side of the guide disk 80 has a single rib 82. The ribs 82 allow the guide disks 80 to be connected with each other side by side by engaging the single rib 82 between the two ribs 82 of the adjacent guide disk 80. The ribs 82 are clamped between flanges of the first board 70 and the second board 90. The guide disks 80 may also be fixed to the first board 70 or the second board 90 by way of gluing or heat fusion. The first board 70 may have rods (not shown) to be inserted in the recesses (not shown) in the guide disks 80. The guide disks 80 are not movable so as to guide the tips of darts into the apertures 81 even if the tips hit the guide disks 80 at angles. The blocks 61, 62 are then hit by the darts and couch the film assembly 40 to activate the electronic scoring system.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 9, the blocks 61, 62 have multiple holes which are smaller than the apertures 81 in the guide disks 80 so as to let the tips attached on the dart board.

[0026]FIG. 11 shows that the casings 60 have tapered sides 63 which is engaged with the tapered inside of the first board 70 so that the casings 60 will not be disengaged from the first board 70. The tapered shape of the casings 60 and the first board 70 make the manufacturing processes to be simplified. The casings 60 may have holes 680 and rods 67, and a support board 66 may have rods 68 and holes 670 so that the rods 67 and 68 can engage with the holes 670 and 680. The support board 66 has protrusions to touch the film assembly 40. The casings 60 may also be connected to the support board 66 by threading, gluing or heat fusion.

[0027]FIG. 12 shows that the guide disks 80 can be removed and connected to the first board 70 without the second board 80. By this way, the size of first board 70 can be reduced so as to reduce the impact between the first board 70 and the darts. The guide disks 80 are easily replaced so that the surface color of the dart board assembly can be changed. The guide disk 80 has four inclined surfaces 84 and at least one hook 83 is connected to a lower edge of each of the inclined surfaces 84. The first board 70 has four inclined surfaces 701 which are located corresponding to the inclined surfaces 84 of the guide disk 80. A flange 7011 is located on the lower edge of each of the inclined surface 701 so as to be engaged with the hook 83. The casing 60 with a block therein can be received in the first board 70 after the guide disk 80 is connected to the first board 70. The connection of the guide disk 80 and the first board 70 may also be used to be a dart board with multiple layers.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the guide disk 80 may have a notch 85 so as to reduce the thickness of the guide disk 80. When the inclined surfaces 84 of the guide disk 80 is moved along the inclined surface 701 of the first board 70, the notch 85 provides a flexibility of deformation to allow the hook 83 to easily engage with the flange 7011.

[0029]FIG. 15 shows that the guide disk 80 has notches 86 and protrusions 860, and the first board 70 has corresponding protrusions 715 and notches 716 so that the guide disk 80 can be securely connected to the first board 70. FIG. 16 shows that the protrusions 69 each have a soft pad 690 mounted thereto so as to reduce noise and touch the film assembly gently.

[0030] While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A dart board assembly comprising: at least one dart board and at least one guide disk connected to the at least one dart board, the guide disk having a plurality of apertures and being fixed to the at least one dart board so as to guide tips of darts into blocks in the at least one dart board, the at least one dart board having a small scale so as to make a surface of the dart board assembly to be perfect and to enhance the ability that keeps the darts attached to the dart board assembly.
 2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising casings located behind the guide disk and the casings having protrusions so as to touch film assembly.
 3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide disk has ribs one sides thereof and the ribs are clamped between flanges on a first board and a second board.
 4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide disk is fixed to the dart board by threading, gluing, or heat fusion.
 5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a frame and a base which is connected to the frame by way of threading, gluing or heat fusion.
 6. The assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the base has insertions extending therefrom and the frame has recesses which receive the insertions.
 7. The assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the frame has holes or recesses defined therein so that bolts or screws extend through the holes or recesses to connect the frame to a box.
 8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the casings have tapered sides and the dart board has a tapered inside which is engaged with the tapered sides to prevent the casings from being disengaged from the dart board.
 9. A dart board assembly comprising: a dart board and at least one guide disk connected to the dart board, the guide disk having a plurality of apertures and being fixed to the dart board so as to guide tips of darts into blocks in the dart board perpendicularly, the dart board having a small scale so as to make a surface of the dart board assembly to be perfect and to enhance the ability that keeps the darts attached to the dart board assembly, the dart board having at least one flange and the guide disk having at least one hook which is engaged with the at least one flange.
 10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 9, wherein the guide disk and the dart board are connected with each other by tapered sides.
 11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 9, wherein the blocks in the casings have regular holes, soft material made or slots.
 12. A dart board assembly comprising: a dart board and at least one guide disk connected to the dart board, the guide disk having a plurality of apertures and being fixed to the dart board so as to guide tips of darts into blocks in the dart board perpendicularly, the dart board having a small scale so as to make a surface of the dart board assembly to be perfect and to enhance the ability that keeps the darts attached to the dart board assembly, the dart board having at least one notch which allows a side of the dart board to be flexible and engaged with the at least one flange.
 13. A dart board assembly wherein the blocks have at least one protrusion and a soft pad is mounted to the at least one protrusion so as to reduce noise and touch film assembly gently. 